Rachael Ruto Plans to Establish 'Zion Forest' in Bid to Combat Climate Change

First Lady mama Rachael Ruto has said that the country will partner with Israel to create a 'Zion forest' in Machakos county in a bid to combat climate change.  

The first lady spoke of the prospect on Wednesday saying that the country needs to position itself well in the fight against climate change. She added that climate change is a ticking time bomb that will disrupt our livelihoods should the nation fail to address it. Mama Rachael Ruto has heaped praises on their partnership with Israel terming it as the rightful strides in restoring the ecosystem.

 "Climate change is a present reality affecting our lives and livelihoods, and it will only get worse if we don't take action. I am excited about the upcoming partnership between Mama Doing Good and KKL-JNF to establish the 'Zion forest' in Machakos," she said. 

Her submission comes after her visit to Israel's KKL-JNF in Jerusalem where she learnt about seed development, preservation, seedling nurturing and tree nursery. KKL-JNF is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that has been developing Israel's land for more than 10 decades. The partnership will see the organization promote environmental conservation alongside the establishment of the new forest.   

Ruto on Tuesday said that there's an inherent connection between prayers and tree planting. He said that tree planting is not only environmentally sustainable but also biblical. Dr Ruto added that the country's efforts of planting trees have been miserable due to a lack of prayers. 

 "And it is also spiritual. I understand here because, for the first time, I found that we have to pray before we plant trees," he said.